The Frogs Vanished, Then People Got Sick. This Was No Harmless Coincidence.

The world has become more aware of the importance of the health of our species since the global Pandemic began in 2020. Today's conversation is mostly focused on birds and mammals, but it may be a mistake to overlook the importance of Amphibians.

A new study shows how the health of humans may be affected by slimy creatures like Frogs and Malaria.

Ecologists in Costa Rica and Panama noticed a decline in amphibian numbers in the 1980's.

Researchers at the time feared a wave of local extinctions because Frogs and salamanders were falling prey to a pathogen at such a rapid rate.

According to some scientists, Bd has caused the greatest recorded loss of biodiversity due to a disease ever, being responsible for significant declines in at least 500 amphibian species, including 90 extinctions.

Amphibians are now considered one of the most threatened groups of animals on Earth due to the worldwide spread of this fungus and others like it.

The population of mosquitoes is influenced by the number of Frogs and salamanders because they are a key source of food.

Using Central America as a case study, researchers have tried to show how Frogs can benefit humans.

The findings, which were first presented in 2020, have now been peer-reviewed, and they show that Bd-driven amphibian losses led to a substantial increase in the incidence of Malaria in Costa Rica in the 1980's and 1990's.

This is the first evidence of the impact of amphibian losses on human health.

The study used a multiple regression model to estimate the impact of Bd on the incidence of Malaria in Costa Rica and Panama.

Researchers compared an amphibian decline map and a Malaria incidence map and found a clear pattern that could be predicted by their model.

Malaria cases increased by about one extra case per 1,000 people in the eight years after substantial amphibian losses. Had it not been for the recent amphibian die-off, this extra case wouldn't have happened.

Incidence rates peak from about 1.1- 1.5 cases per thousand people. A 70-90 percent increase in the number of people getting sick could have been caused by the loss of the salamanders.

The pattern shows a wave from the northwestern border of Costa Rica to the Panama Canal region by 2010.

Researchers don't know why the effect is suddenly reduced after eight years.

The authors suggest that an increase in malaria cases may prompt greater use of pesticides, which may lead to lower cases again.

The connection between amphibian loss and a rising threat from mosquito-borne diseases can be supported by future studies on other mosquito-borne diseases.

Researchers were only able to obtain some national data on the disease in Panama, not county-level data, but the findings suggest an increase in the disease following the decline of the Amphibians.

The number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease increased by 36 percent from 2002 to 2007.

The authors say that the impact of biodiversity loss shows the hidden human welfare costs.

Scientists and decision-makers are at risk of failing to fully motivate protection against new calamities if they fail to think about the consequences of past events.

The health of our own species is at risk because B. salamandrivorans is hitching a ride around the world with global trade.

The study shows that frog and human health go hand in hand. Whether we like it or not, we're sticking together.

The study was published in a peer reviewed journal.